Boychuk has three goals and seven assists in 52 games this season and was plus-23, eighth best in the league heading into Tuesday's game against the New York Rangers. He's played 177 career games for Boston and the Colorado Avalanche, the team that drafted him in the third round in 2002.

RUUTU INJURED

Carolina Hurricanes forward Tuomo Ruutu, long rumoured to be traded before the deadline, will miss the next three to four weeks with an upper-body injury.

Ruutu was hurt in the first period of Monday's game against the Montreal Canadiens and was forced to leave the game. He had an MRI done Tuesday, which confirmed that he'll need about a month of rest.

A potential unrestricted free agent this summer, Ruutu leads the Hurricanes with 17 goals and is second in points, with 30. While he's been mentioned as possible trade bait, the Hurricanes have indicated they'd like to keep him around.

"It will have no impact (on negotiations)," Carolina GM Jim Rutherford told the Charlotte Observer. "The fact that we'd like him to stay and like to re-sign him has not changed in any way."

KNUBLE LOOKS AHEAD

Mike Knuble, a 39-year-old forward who has been a healthy scratch the past three games, pondered his future Tuesday with the Washington Capitals.

"We're two weeks before the trade deadline," Knuble told CSNWashington.com. "If a player is not going to be used, or in the near future you're not in their plans, then that player probably wouldn't want to be there.

"That's how we are. You want to go somewhere where you're going to play and contribute to the team. If you can't do it in one place, then you've got to go."

While Knuble has only three goals this season, he scored 24 goals or more in each of his previous six seasons.